Culprit Behind Sumatran Floods: State Reclaims 1,583 Hectares of PT SJW Land
The Forest Area Enforcement Task Force (Satgas PKH) has reclaimed 1,583 hectares of land within the concession area of PT Sukses Jaya Wood in West Sumatra.
According to the task force, the land seizure in West Sumatra is a follow-up to President Prabowo Subianto’s revocation of permits for 28 companies identified as having caused floods and landslides across Sumatra.
“The concession area of PT Sukses Jaya Wood, spanning 1,583 hectares, has now officially had its land utilisation permit revoked and the land has been reclaimed by the state,” the Satgas PKH said in a written statement on Wednesday (18 February).
Separately, Satgas PKH spokesperson Barita Simanjuntak said the task force is currently documenting unlawful acts committed by the 28 companies responsible for hydrometeorological disasters in Sumatra.
He explained that the documentation is being carried out in preparation for imposing criminal sanctions against the offenders. He stressed that sanctions against the 28 companies responsible for floods and landslides would not stop at administrative measures such as permit revocations alone.
“The Satgas PKH will also carry out an inventory of unlawful acts committed by the 28 legal entities whose permits have been revoked,” he said at a press conference on Tuesday (27 January).
Previously, President Prabowo Subianto officially revoked the permits of 28 companies found to have committed forest destruction violations and triggered flooding on the island of Sumatra.
Of the total permits revoked, 22 companies fall under the category of forest utilisation enterprises (PBPH) for natural forests and plantation forests, covering an area of 1,010,592 hectares.
Meanwhile, six companies fall under the category of mining, plantation, and timber forest product utilisation permit (PBPHHK) enterprises.
In addition, the Ministry of Environment has also revoked the environmental approvals previously issued to the 28 companies suspected of causing hydrometeorological flood and landslide disasters in Sumatra.